City · South Dakota
Spearfish, South Dakota
Spearfish, city, in Lawrence County, South Dakota. Spearfish had 14,154 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 15.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 12,193 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 12,930 (±28). GEOID 4660020.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
14,154
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 12,193 · ACS 2020-2024: 12,930 ±28
Median household income
$65,688
±$12,528 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$346,200
±$21,481 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$963
±$97 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Spearfish and what county is it in?
Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota. It covers 17.3 square miles of land, 706 residents per square mile in 2020.
Spearfish is in the Spearfish, SD micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Spearfish, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 14,154 people lived in Spearfish on July 1, 2025, up 15.9% since 2020, faster than South Dakota (+5.5%). The 2020 Census counted 12,193 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 12,930 (±28).
| Measure | Spearfish | Lawrence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,930 ±28 | 27,233 | +1,383 |
| Households | 5,932 ±251 | 12,054 | +921 |
| Average household size | 2.05 ±0.09 | 2.18 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 6,494 ±263 | 14,840 | +1,039 |
Spearfish's population since 2000
From 8,606 in 2000 to 14,154 in 2025: up 64.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Spearfish as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Spearfish?
The median resident of Spearfish is 40.0 years old; 18.4% are under 18 and 20.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.1%. 2.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Spearfish | Lawrence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.0 ±1.9 | 44.8 | +3.9 |
| Under 18 years | 18.4% ±1.8 pts | 16.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.7% ±2.4 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Male | 48.1% ±2.1 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.9% ±1.2 pts | 3.9% | +1.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.3% ±2.3 pts | 88.8% | −4.1 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±1.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±1.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.6% ±1.3 pts | 2.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.3% ±1.6 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7% ±2.3 pts | 10.4% | – |
| With a disability | 16.2% ±2.5 pts | 16.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.4% ±2.4 pts | 8.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.5% ±1.7 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 41.8% ±4.4 pts | 32.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.3% ±3.6 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.6% ±3.9 pts | 86.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.0% ±1.7 pts | 3.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Spearfish earn?
Half of Spearfish's 5,932 households earn less than $65,688 a year (±$12,528), against $73,384 in Lawrence County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $56,849 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Spearfish | Lawrence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,688 ±$12,528 | $73,384 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $89,843 ±$10,572 | $94,174 | – |
| Per capita income | $45,171 ±$6,252 | $44,386 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.2% ±4.1 pts | 11.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.4% ±6.1 pts | 12.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.7% ±3.9 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±2.1 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.2% ±3.3 pts | 89.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Spearfish?
Owners occupy 49.6% of Spearfish's occupied homes and renters 50.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $346,200 by its owner (±$21,481). The median renter pays $963 a month including utilities, and 33.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Spearfish | Lawrence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $346,200 ±$21,481 | $346,500 | +$84,431 |
| Median gross rent | $963 ±$97 | $938 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.7% ±9.3 pts | 29.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,737 ±$195 | $1,693 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 49.6% ±4.1 pts | 65.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 50.4% ±4.1 pts | 34.9% | – |
| Housing units | 6,494 ±263 | 14,840 | +1,039 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.4% ±1.6 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 43.4% ±4.2 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.9% ±2.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.9% ±2.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 19.1% ±4.8 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 10.2% ±3.9 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.4% ±2.7 pts | 4.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Spearfish building?
Builders took permits for 126 new housing units in Spearfish in 2025 (88 in single-family houses), 8.9 per 1,000 residents against 5.7 across South Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Spearfish work and get to work?
76.6% of Spearfish's workers drive alone and 6.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 16.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.2%.
| Measure | Spearfish | Lawrence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.7% ±4.1 pts | 63.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% ±1.3 pts | 1.7% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 76.6% ±4.1 pts | 76.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.7% ±2.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.3% ±1.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 7.3% ±3.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±2.3 pts | 6.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.3 min ±2.1 | 19.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Spearfish?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Spearfish, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $51,172 (Tract 9662) to $88,656 (Tract 9663.04).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9662Lawrence County | 4,215 | $51,172 |
| Tract 9663.01Lawrence County | 6,078 | $89,242 |
| Tract 9663.04Lawrence County | 2,402 | $88,656 |
| Tract 9663.03Lawrence County | 3,096 | $63,608 |
| Tract 9661.01Lawrence County | 4,232 | $90,747 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Spearfish) · Census block assignment files
How does Spearfish compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Spearfish is the 2,505th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 9th-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Spearfish ranks 49th of 82 places in South Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 9th | 310 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 7th | 73 |
| Residents per square mile | 59th | 84 |
| Median household income | 49th | 82 |
| Per capita income | 13th | 83 |
| Median home value | 13th | 81 |
| Median gross rent | 25th | 72 |
| Poverty rate | 17th | 55 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13th | 81 |
| Median age | 37th | 83 |
| Owner-occupied share | 75th | 84 |
| Work from home | 29th | 44 |
| Travel time to work | 45th | 84 |
Spearfish's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Spearfish with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Spearfish?
8 of the 57 figures for Spearfish on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Spearfish are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Spearfish.